Car-coupling



(No Model.)

J. G. GLASS 8; J. OOWAN.

GAR COUPLING. No. 536,619. Patented Apr; 2, 1895.

atko zum o fns'uonms virus 00., moro-umm. wsnmmou n c UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ORESSON GLASS, OF OAKMONT, AND JOHN COWAN, OF VERONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 536,619, dated April 2, 1895.

Application filed November 15, 1894- Serial No. 528| N model) To all whom it may concern:

be it known that we, JOHN CRESSON GLAss, residing at Oakmont, and JOHN COWAN, residlng at Yerona, Allegheny county, Pennsylvama, cltizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplers, of which the following is a'specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful lmprovements in car couplers, and it consists substantially in such features of construct1on, arrangement, and combination of parts, as will hereinafter be more particularly described.

It is particularly desirable in a car-coupler that the coupler-head be made or formed rigid with the draw-bar, but by reason of the swinging action of the cars in fast travel and in rounding curves the coupler-heads are subected to great strain, andvery often they break and fall upon the track, thus uncoupling the cars and causing considerable damage.

The ordinary J anney' or twin jaw coupler is decidedly stronger and much safer when the coupler head is rigid, owing to the fact that the jaws themselves are generally pivoted within or upon some part'of the head, and therefore to also pivot the head weakens the structure that much more. It, has been proposed heretofore to provide a so called com-' bined equalizing coupler and buffer, designed to ad ust itself on curves and to yield to and to deflect buffing blows, and, incidentally to the construction referred to, the coupler-heads are prevented from falling to the track in the event of an uncoupling or breakage. With such former construction however the coupler-head is pivoted at the sides to draft-stems provided with buffing springs and, at the center, to a safety pin or stop; or else the head is pivoted centrally to a main draft and bufier stem, and at the sides pivoted to safety stems provided with springs to equilize and balance the coupler-head. As will be noted, the former construction referred to embodies in every sense of the word a pivoted couplerhead, and therefore the same results are not derived .as if thg said head were rigid or formed as an integral part with both the draft and safety stems.

Our invention has for its object to provide arigid coupler head capable of deflecting and yielding to buffing effects and at the same time to assist in equalizing the draft, as well as to maintain the coupling 'or prevent the fallingor dropping of either one of the coupler heads to the track, substantially as will hereinafter more particularly appear when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents in side elevation a car coupler embodying our improvements, the cross-sills and draft timbers being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a bottom or plan view; and Fig. 3 is a detail view in end elevation representing the means by which the side rods or stems are supported in the event of breakage of a coupler head, or its connection. Fig. 4: is a bottom or plan view representing a modification of our invention.

In carrying our invention into effect we provide any suitable coupler-head 1, which as shown is preferably of the ordinary twin-jaw or Janney type, and which also as will be observed is formed rigid with the draft or draw-bar 2, whichextends backward a suitable distance, and is supported or held by any suitable rigging for the purpose. As shown,

the rigging consists of suitable plates 3, 3,

spring 9, which is confined between two col- 4 lars 10, 10, formed with or secured to said stem. Normally, said spring isainder slight tension between the collars so that the same serves to resist buffing blows upon the drawhead as well as to equalize the draft thereon. The inner end of the stem is formed or provided with a vertical opening or slot through which is placed and secured a key 11, which maintains the relative arrangement of the coupler head and its draw-bar.

While a certain form of rigging is herein shown and described it is to be understood that the same forms no part of our present invention, and that other forms could be employed with equal results.

The coupler head 1 need not be of any special form as long as it is rigid, and as will be observed the same is formed or constructed with lugs, ears, or offsets 12, 12, through which pass the bolts or rivets 13, 13, which firmly and rigidly unite such coupler head with the outer ends of the safety rods orstems, 14,14.

The said safety rods or stems may extend back any suitable distance connecting with either the draft timbers, body bolster, or center sills, but preferably at their inner ends they are formed or provided with caps or keys 15, so as to prevent them'from pulling out of place from any cause whatever, and they are supported and guided at their inner ends by means of sleeves 16, 16, which are formed with or attached to brackets 17, 17, secured to the sides of the draft timbers 18, 18,asshown, suitable bolts 19, and nuts 20 being employed for the purpose. We have found that dueto the constant sidewise or swinging action of the cars, the line of draft instead of being direct, is ever alternating to slight extent in oblique or diagonal lines With respect to the coupler head and car, and, likewise in the turning or rounding of curves, the tendency of strain is also in an oblique or diagonal direction on one side or the other according to which side the curve is encountered. A Therefore, inasmuch as we employ a rigid coupler head; and, to obtain the same resultswith such form of head as are obtained with a pivoted head under like conditions, we preferably diverge the safety rods or stems or extend them alongside of the draft timbers in a slightly oblique direction thereto horizontally, substantially as is shown in Fig. 2, of the drawings. In addition also to the sidewise swinging movement of the cars both in ordinary travel and in the rounding of curves, there is also a certain vibrating or up and down movement between cars no matter how even the track or how direct the line of draft, and therefore whether the coupler head he ofthe pivoted or of the rigid form there is also a considerable strain on the cou pler-head in this laterally described direction. For this reason, while the coupler head and its draw-bar have onlyxa comparatively direct movement when yielding to draft and buffing strains, we prefer to give to the safety rods or stems a slight downward inclination from their points of attachment to the head, since the said rods or stems will thereby more effectually perform their intended functions.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the safety rods or stems are made to extend through and beyond the sleeves, and surrounding the rods and exerting their bearings between the heads of the rods and the ends of the sleeves are suitable springs 21 of the same length or longer than the draft spring 9, and which equalize and assist the draft strain inan obvious manner. Should the main draft spring cease toact or should the stem of the drawbar break, the said safety rods and their springs will still maintain the parts in proper relationship and no accident will happen. The rods or stems are held or supported at near their forward ends by means of a bracket plate 22, secured to the under side of the crosssill 23, by means of bolts 24, the said plate being bent to form the brackets 26, which support therods. See Fig. 3. By dispensing with the springs 21, and shortening the safety rods, so as to bring the heads or caps of the rods closer to the sleeves 16, leaving only space enough to allow for the forward motion of the coupler, the said rods while not materially assisting to equalize the draft strain will still be capable of preventing the coupler heads from falling in the event of said heads becoming broken or snapped off. It will thus be understood that our invention comprehends such use.

Another means of utilizing the safety rods 01' stems to equalize the draft strain and to yield to any buffing eifectsor shocks we sometimes resort to the construction illustrated in Fig. 5. In snchconstruction the inner ends of the rods are supported loosely in the ends 30, of a sliding or movable cross-head 31, through the center of which the stem of the draw-bar passes, suitable keys 32, being employed to prevent both the rods and stem from pulling out. The construction is such that normally the cross-head is close up against the follower on the stem, and the connectionsare taut. It will thus be seen that the safety rods or stems are made to equalize strain in like manner as before, and that shoulda breakage occur the said rods will maintain the heads in coupled relation.

The coupler sleeve 16, referred to in connection with Figs. land 2 is preferably tubular and is formed integral with the bracket 17, which'is secured to the side of the draft timber as already explained, said bracket being formed or provided on its under side with a projection or flange 35, which is sunken or set into the side of said draft timber to prevent undue slipping and strengthen the fas tening. It is obvious that this form of support for the inner ends of the rods could be altered or changed in many ways.

From the foregoing description it is thought that the construction and operation of our improvement will be fully understood, and while wehave set forth in detail certain preferred forms of the several elements or devices employed we do not mean to limit ourselves thereto in any particular, since it is evident that various immaterial changes therein could be resorted to and still be within the scope of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'- a 1. In a car-coupler, the combination of a rigid coupler head and draw-bar, the draftspring, safetyrods extending rearwardly from the draw-head and rigidly connected thereto, and supports for the inner ends of the rods, said rods being movable in said supports and 4. Ina car coupler, the combinationof a rigid coupler head, the main draft spring safe- .ty rods or stems extending rearwardly from said head and rigidly connected thereto, supports for the outer ends of the rods,and a yield- 20 able cross-head uniting the inner ends of said rods, all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of' two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN ORESSON GLASS. JOHN COWAN. Witnesses:

JOHN MoOULLY, GEo. R. MORRISON. 

